Derby Contenders

Mike Smith

The son of a jockey, Smith, rode in his first race at age 11. In 2005 Smith guided Giacomo to a win in the Kentucky Derby, and in 2013 rode Princess of Sylmar to victory in the Kentucky Oaks. He has won both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes and 17 Breeders' Cup races, including three Classics. He has won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey, the Mike Venezia Memorial Award, the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, and was inducted in the the Hall of Fame in 2003. Mounts include: Azeri, Zenyatta, Holy Bull, Skip Away, Thunder Gulch, and Lure.